Legal Researcher Job at Save The Children ( 2 Positions )

Save The Children Internal/ External Vacancy Announcement

INTRODUCTION

Save the Children has a small global advocacy office in Addis Ababa (alongside offices in Brussels, Geneva and New York) that is registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the name of “Pan African Office”. The office has responsibility for (i) engaging with international and regional institutions such as the African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and (ii) providing support to Save the Children programmes across the African continent. The office also hosts a number of technical advisors who are focused on a full sub-Saharan Africa portfolio.

Save the Children is an organization for talented people with different backgrounds and perspectives. We are proud that our people are representative of the children we work with and we thrive on our diversity. We are an equal opportunity organization dedicated to our core values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity. Our culture is embedded in these values, along with a strong commitment to our Child Safeguarding Protocol, ensuring that all representatives of Save the Children demonstrate the highest standards of behavior towards children both in their private and professional lives.

Save the Children offers sound employment conditions with opportunities for personal growth and development. If you are interested to work in an organization that is determined to achieve dramatic change for the most vulnerable children, we encourage you to look through the job profile below.

BACKGROUND

The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC or the Charter) was adopted by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Assembly on 11 July 1990 and entered into force on 29 November 1999. The Charter establishes the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) as the body which is responsible for monitoring the implementation and ensuring the protection of the rights laid out in the Charter. With a view to assisting the protection mandate of the ACERWC, Save the Children International, through the financial support from SIDA-Sweden, would like to recruit TWO LEGAL RESEARCHERS who will be working on the protection and promotion mandate of the ACERWC.

SCOPE OF WORK

I.             Assist the Secretariat of the ACERWC on the State Party Reporting Mechanism. The Child Rights Legal Researcher will be responsible to:

·         Prepare the various documents around the State Party Reporting mechanisms before the ACERWC including developing the list of issues, concluding observations;

·         Follow up the implementation of the concluding observations and recommendations in the respective countries;

·         Organise the various advocacy/lobbying missions regarding submissions State Party Reports on the implementation of the African Children’s Charter;

·         Prepare the relevant documents around the complementary reports submitted by Civil Society Organisations.

II.            Assist the Secretariat of the ACERWC on the Communication Mandate of the ACERWC

·         Assist the Secretariat in receiving complaints and determining whether they meets the requirements as prescribed in the African Children’s Charter and the Revised Guidelines on Consideration of Communications by the ACERWC;

·         Prepare summary of facts and legal briefs and present them before the ACERWC;

·         Undertake extensive legal research into the legal issues raised in the various communications;

·         Assist the Committee in drafting admissibility ruling, recommendations, summaries and legal briefs on Communications for consideration by the Committee;

·         Organise on site investigation and follow up missions in the concerned State Parties as directed by the ACERWC.

III.  Assist the Secretariat of the Committee on other activities within mandate of the ACERWC

·         Assist the Secretariat  to produce  periodic research reports on issues related to the Committee’s promotional mandate including specific thematic research and progress reports on the implementation of the ACRWC and various policy instruments and decisions on the rights of children;

·         Assist the Secretariat in drafting General Comments of the ACERWC on selected provisions of the Charter;

·         Collect decisions of child rights cases from domestic jurisdictions which can be regularly fed into the case law database;

·         Assist the Committee in monitoring and analyzing legal and political developments in Africa relating to Children’s Rights; provide regular feedback and updates on the situation of child rights in Africa;

·         Follow up the applications of Observers Status received by the Secretariat;

·         To assist in the preparation and organization of the Committee meetings as well as activities or all meetings involving the Committee; cover the sessions and meetings of the Committee and prepare the reports;  and

·         To perform any child protection related activities as may be assigned by the Secretariat or the ACERWC.

 SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Accountability:

·         Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

·         Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

·         Put the interest of the organization at the center of all engagements

Ambition:

·         Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same

·         widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others

·         Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

·         Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters

·         values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

·         Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to, team player

Creativity:

·         Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

·         Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

·         Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

·         Master’s Degree in law or related discipline.
At least three (3) years of relevant professional experience in  child rights protection

·         Working knowledge of legal research, policy analysis and programme development,

·         Excellent drafting and report writing skills;

·         Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work autonomously and in a multi- cultural

·         Relevant experience working with the African Union particularly on the African Human Rights system is necessary;

·         Previous experience with a human rights organization, especially a child rights organization, at a regional, continental or international level, will be an added advantage.

·         Relevant experience working with the African Union particularly on the African Human Rights system;

·         Relevant experience working on child rights issues in Africa

·         Relevant exposure to the work of the ACERWC and the African Human Rights System

DESIRABLE

·         Strong analytical and drafting skills;

·         Working knowledge of legal research, policy analysis and programme development,

·         Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work autonomously and in a multi- cultural environment;

·         Excellent drafting and report writing skills;

·         Good communication, planning  and negotiating skills;

·         Ability to liaise with a diverse range of people and stakeholders;

·         Good organizational skills and ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines; and

·         Ability to work in  team

REPORTING

The Consultant will be reporting to the Executive Secretary of the ACERWC.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

Proficiency in one of the African Union working languages. Knowledge of other working languages would be an added advantage.